Trauma centers with ACS verification have fewer complications

Editor's Note

Trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) have fewer complications among pediatric, elderly, and severely injured patients, finds this study.

The odds of experiencing any major complication were more than 3.0 times greater for elderly patients in trauma centers without ASC-COT verification than in verified centers, and more than 2.5 times greater for pediatric patients.

For patients with major trauma, complications at nonverified trauma centers were nearly 1.5 times likelier for adults, 2.5 times likelier for elderly patients, and 4.3 times likelier for children and young teenagers than at verified centers. 

All patients who had major complications also had significantly longer hospitalizations.

For pediatric and elderly trauma patients across all ranges of injury, complications are decreased for all age groups with major trauma in American College of Surgeons-verified centers.